With more than 221 hospital spaces permanently opened across the province, including 102 in Edmonton and 79 in Calgary, and another 194 temporary spaces being prepared, Alberta is taking steps to manage seasonal pressures on hospitals and emergency departments. The 194 temporary spaces can be activated if demand increases beyond existing hospital capacity, giving hospitals additional flexibility to support Albertans.
Over the past year, Acute Care Alberta (ACA) and Assisted Living Alberta have contributed to increased capacity through initiatives such as the Homecare and Hospital to Home Pathway that have freed the equivalent of 175 acute care beds. These measures are part of a provincewide action plan to expand capacity, improve patient flow and strengthen emergency care.
“We’ve expanded acute care capacity to the highest level in Alberta’s history, and we’re taking further steps to prepare our hospitals for respiratory virus season. We can't prevent every seasonal surge, but we can make sure our hospitals have the space, resources and flexibility to respond so Albertans can get the care they need.”
“We’ve been working closely with our health partners to better prepare our hospitals for respiratory virus season. This action plan brings together a number of practical steps, including increased capacity and new clinical triage teams, that will make a real difference for patients and our health care teams.”
Alongside these immediate measures, the Edmonton Acute Care Capacity Task Force, co-led by Hospital and Surgical Health Services and Infrastructure, is identifying further opportunities to expand patient care spaces now, during the 2026-27 respiratory virus season and in the years ahead.
“We’re working to ensure Alberta’s hospitals have the space they need to meet growing demand, both during respiratory virus season and into the future. By working across government and with our health partners, we’re identifying practical opportunities to expand patient care capacity and ensure our health infrastructure continues to meet the needs of Albertans.”
ACA and Assisted Living Alberta are working together to help patients transition from hospitals to continuing care and home-based supports. To further improve patient flow in all care settings, ACA has launched a Provincial Integrated Operations Centre to better coordinate hospital capacity and resources across Alberta. By bringing together hospital teams and provincial experts to identify available spaces and coordinate resources, the centre will help ease pressure on individual hospitals and support patients in receiving care as close to home as possible.
“Preparing for respiratory virus season means making sure patients have support beyond the hospital. Assisted Living Alberta is helping more Albertans return home safely or move into continuing care, opening up hospital beds for patients who need acute care.”
The newly launched Triage Liaison Physician program will bring physicians directly into busy emergency department waiting areas, providing an earlier point of contact for patients. This will allow physicians, supported by clinical triage teams, to identify patients whose conditions may be worsening, begin testing and treatment sooner, and provide additional support to emergency departments as seasonal demand increases.
Hospitals across Alberta are also introducing automated daily staffing reports to give them a clearer picture of where staff are available and where more support is needed. By streamlining this process, hospitals can respond more quickly to staffing shortages and give front-line managers more time to focus on patient care.
"Acute Care Alberta’s collaborative leadership has bolstered our system’s ability to respond to demand that can't always be predicted. As a result, front-line health care workers are better supported and the system has more flexibility to deliver the care Albertans need.”
Throughout respiratory virus season, ACA will continue monitoring hospital capacity and patient flow to identify emerging pressures across the province. Established triggers will guide additional measures as needed, ensuring hospitals are prepared to respond to increased demand and continue providing care to Albertans.
Quick facts
- Influenza immunization is available free of charge to all Albertans six months of age and older, while publicly funded COVID-19 immunizations are available to eligible Albertans.
- RSV immunization is available free of charge year-round for eligible seniors, older adults in continuing care and supportive living, and eligible First Nations, Métis and Inuit Albertans.
- As of Oct. 1, RSV immunization eligibility expanded to vulnerable adults aged 18 to 69 with certain serious medical conditions, including transplant recipients, people receiving dialysis and those requiring chronic oxygen therapy.
- RSV immunization for eligible adults is available through public health clinics and participating pharmacies.
- Publicly funded RSV protection is also available to all infants born in hospital from November through April, with families offered protection shortly after birth, before leaving hospital.
- Albertans can book immunizations at bookvaccine.alberta.ca, through Health Link at 811 or at their local pharmacy.
Related news
- Strengthening emergency departments (Oct 16, 2026)
- Alberta expands respiratory virus protection (Sep 14, 2026)